Strong resolution on Crimea included in Tbilisi Declaration

50 OSCE countries voted in favor of a strong resolution on Crimea - proposed by a Ukrainian delegation - once again confirming the European community’s rejection of Russian aggression.

TBILISI (QHA) -

A forum held in Tbilisi in the framework of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has approved the Tbilisi Declaration, which included a strong resolution on Crimea, proposed by a Ukrainian delegation.

“Representatives of the parliaments of more than 50 OSCE countries supported a strong resolution on Crimea, having shown once again that the European community rejects the Russian aggression (155 votes in favor),” Ukrainian MP Anton Gerashchenko wrote on his Facebook page.

According to the adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, the Declaration of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly will be another building block in the system of economic and political sanctions against the Russian Federation, an aggressor state.

The delegations from the Russian Federation and Armenia have voted against (6 votes), while the delegation from Kazakhstan and one of the delegates from Italy (5 votes) abstained from voting to condemn Russian aggression, but it did not significantly affect the overall result.

The OSCE report expressed concern of diminishing possibility of education in the Ukrainian language in Crimea, restrictions on freedom of the media, as well as numerous manifestations of violence based on religious belief.

The resolution also calls on the immediate and unconditional release of the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Ahtem Chiygoz, Crimean political prisoners Oleg Sentsov, Alexander Kol'chenko and other pro-Ukrainian activists.